A new TikTok trend that involves attempting to break records by sitting on long-haul flights without eating, drinking, standing up or even using the bathroom is causing concern among health experts.
TikTokers have joined the trend of “rawdogging” flights after some posters jokingly coined the slogan to describe a flight experience without distractions or comfort. That is, a flight without scrolling on devices or watching movies. Instead, they look at the flight map throughout the trip.
Since then, the trend has only grown stronger. Some TikTokers have extended the trend to longer and longer flights and expanded the definition of “rawdogging” to include not eating, not drinking water, and not getting up.
“New raw dog (personal record),” one TikToker posted in a video. “17 hour flight, no food, no water, no movies – just safety instructions.”
Olympians have also jumped on the trend during their trip to the Paris Games. Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen, for example, boasted that his flight was “completely rough.”
The trend has even spawned a Rawdog flight simulator, an online portal that allows far-flung users to stare at a flight map of long-haul international flights. According to TikToker @billy_t, it also tracks eye movements to make sure the viewer doesn’t look away.
The simulator then lists the players and their time records. Its motto? “Sit back and endure the flight.”
“Go there and challenge yourself. See if you can survive an 18-hour flight from New York to Singapore without any help, with only your boarding pass to accompany you,” explains @billy_t in a video. “And don’t think you can cheat – the game uses your phone or laptop’s camera to observe your point of view… If you look away for more than five seconds, you’re out of the game and kicked off the flight. Perfect.”
One commenter said “rawdogging” flights were the “ultimate dopamine detox.” Another wrote that the trend was about “engaging with your own thoughts and not hearing or seeing anything – just being in the moment with your thoughts.”
Others have said they enjoy it because it strengthens their stoicism and frees their minds from constant modern technology.
“We need to reduce our need for novelty and stimulation and the dopamine rush and just take time to breathe and stare at the clouds – literally, when you’re on an airplane,” noted The science of boredom Author Sandi Mann in an interview with the BBC.
What health risks exist?
As “rawdogging” flying behavior evolves from a joke to a semi-serious competition, health experts urge caution.
There are good medical reasons why travelers should get up and move around every hour or so on long flights. Among other things, some people are at higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis or blood clots if they sit for more than four hours.
“If you don’t move, you’re at risk of deep vein thrombosis, which is made worse by dehydration,” Dr Gill Jenkins told the BBC. “Not going to the toilet is a bit stupid.”
Some doctors also recommend wearing compression stockings on flights to stimulate blood circulation.
Staying hydrated is also important on long flights, due to the dry air blowing throughout the aircraft. Finally, staring at a flight simulator and refusing to sleep during an 18-hour flight disrupts circadian rhythms and is likely to affect sleep quality once passengers arrive at their destination.
TikTokers largely ignore health concerns. Just a few days ago, @sspencerevans claimed he could hold the world record for the longest “rawdogged” flight – a full 24 hours. All the while, he kept his eyes glued to his boarding pass; during a 10-hour layover, he focused on a nearby wall.
He described himself as “locked in” despite feeling uneasy. The video received over a million likes.
“I’m starting to feel the withdrawal symptoms,” he noted. “But I kept going… 24 hours total without exertion. Is that a world record?”
